New York Times reported that with the triumphs in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, the BJP expanded its dominance of a key region ahead of general elections.
The results were another blow to the “dwindling fortunes of the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress,” NYT reported. Citing political analyst Arati Jerath, the report said, “This is the B.J.P.’s big advantage in 2024".
Referring to the Ram temple, the NYT report claimed that “Mr. Modi already has a big plan for further galvanizing his base of support: the inauguration in January of a massive Hindu temple in Ayodhya, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh…”
“Mr. Modi, projecting himself as an ambitious champion of development as well as Hindu interests, also has a strong pull with voters across the country. His government has used the resources of the top-heavy and unequal Indian economy for well-targeted welfare schemes, handed out often in his name. In states where local B.J.P. leaders were struggling in the elections, it was Mr. Modi’s face on the posters; the handouts for voters were presented as ‘Modi’s guarantee’,” it said
